Introduction

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London School of Music (LSM) is a registered school run for the following purpose:

To provide access to music tuition to children and adults

The school is based at:

115 Coventry Road, London E2 6GG

73 St. John Street London EC1M 4NJ

The School has adopted this safeguarding children policy and expects every adult working or helping at School to support it and comply with it. Consequently this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of School.

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Purpose of the Policy

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This policy is intended to protect children who receive any service from us, including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us. Under this policy, the term children shall mean any person who is under eighteen years of age.

The school believes that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and is committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

The Risks to Children

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Children can be vulnerable to different forms of abuse and harm. It is important to recognise that abuse and harm of children can cover a wide range of circumstances and behaviours. For example, children can be at risk of:

• physical or emotional abuse

• neglect

• sexual abuse

• female genital mutilation (FGM)

• grooming and exploitation

• trafficking and modern slavery

• exposure to or infliction of domestic abuse

• bullying or cyber bullying

• exposure to other inappropriate content or behaviour, such as violence or criminal behaviour

• self-harm

• physical harm when engaging with activities without adequate supervision

 

The causal factors of any such harm and/or abuse can also be wide-ranging. For example, children can be placed at risk by family members or by members of the community.

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Safeguarding Principles

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Safeguarding children from harm and abuse is an essential responsibility for our School. We are committed to ensuring that any child who comes into contact with our services is properly safeguarded. Every person under this policy must ensure that they play an active role in ensuring that children are properly safeguarded.

 

Every person under this policy holds responsibility for:

• remaining alert and aware of possible safeguarding risks to children

• guarding children against harmful environments with appropriate actions (for example, adequate supervision or ensuring safe environments)

• taking positive steps to maintain the safety and wellbeing of children engaging with us as a School

• reporting concerns expeditiously and appropriately, in line with child protection procedures

• understanding the duty to report specific concerns (and understanding how this interplays with confidentiality)

• challenging any inappropriate or harmful behaviour of any other adult and reporting this accordingly

• acting appropriately in the presence of children

• not taking any inappropriate risks

• not smoking, drinking or taking any form of illicit substances in the presence of children

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Safeguarding Officer and First Aider

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Any question, report or concern in relation to the safeguarding of children should be shared with our Safeguarding Officer:

Name: MICHAEL BENÖHR

Email: michaelbenohr@gmail.com

Telephone: 07503500242

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Confidentiality and Data Protection

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All personal information we may process relating to children, shall be processed and stored in accordance with our data protection privacy policy which can be located at: https://www.londonschoolofmusic.co.uk/privacy.

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Responding to a Safeguarding Concern

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Where a child is at immediate risk of serious harm, any adult present should call 999. Thereafter, the Safeguarding Officer should be contacted as soon as is reasonably practicable.

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Where there is a safeguarding concern but no immediate risk of serious harm, the adult who has heard or witnessed this concern should consult with the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable and by no later than the end of that same day.

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Where any child makes a disclosure relating to harm or abuse to an adult, it is important for that adult to:

• listen calmly and carefully, showing that their their views are taken seriously

• provide an appropriate and honest level of reassurance

• avoid interrogating children and asking probing, intrusive and/or leading questions

• avoid making false promises regarding secrets and confidentiality with the child (because any concern of abuse/harm must be shared with the Safeguarding Officer and any subsequent safeguarding referral)

• make a confidential written record of the discussion either during the discussion or immediately afterwards. The record should include the key details of the disclosure together with any relevant times, dates, places and people concerned. Audio and video recordings of children making disclosures should be avoided

• refer all relevant information to the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable afterwards, and by no later than the end of the day

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Upon receipt of any safeguarding concern, the Safeguarding Officer shall consult with any other relevant persons and will make any appropriate referrals to the relevant authorities, such as the applicable Local Authority Children's Services department.

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Reporting Concerns About Other Adults

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Where any person has a concern regarding the conduct of an adult connected to the School, which poses or may pose a safeguarding risk to children such as:

• harming a child either physically or emotionally

• exposing a child to behaviour which may cause physical or emotional harm

• engaging in criminal activity concerning a child

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this must be raised in the first instance with the Safeguarding Officer (or where this is not appropriate, a different senior member of the organisation) so that the next appropriate steps may be agreed and actioned. We recognise that there could be circumstances where a person may need to report a matter that has taken place in a setting outside of the person's engagement with the School.

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Usually, any appropriate steps following a safeguarding referral in respect of an individual connected to the School will include either:

• further initial enquiries

• escalation to the applicable Local Authority Children's Services department for assessment and/or the police for investigation

• instigation of any appropriate disciplinary, formal investigation processes and suspension of any person concerned within the School

• a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, or any other relevant regulatory bodies

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Any person within the School who has allegations made against them shall be informed properly in a formal meeting of the particulars of the allegations and the relevant next steps which shall be taken. Such a meeting should ordinarily be held by the Safeguarding Officer. On certain occasions, such a meeting may not be convened until this has been approved by any authorities involved (such as the police or the relevant Local Authority).

 

Any person from within the School who has allegations made against them shall be treated fairly. All enquires, investigations and decisions taken shall be just and fair, with the safety of any child concerned at the heart of the process.

 

Any person from within the School who makes an allegation against another person from within the School shall be listened to, taken seriously and shall be treated fairly and justly throughout the process of enquiries, investigations and decision making.

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Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks and Reporting

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DBS checks under the appropriate legislation should be undertaken wherever required. The groups of people we will usually undertake DBS checks in relation to are:

All employees

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Wherever we deem it is necessary and appropriate to remove any individual from a position of work in a activity which is regulated under the relevant legislation, we shall also be obliged to make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Safeguarding Children at the School

 

Responsibilities and Planning

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Although the Safeguarding Officer will hold ultimate responsibility for overseeing the safety of children present at the School, all individuals under this policy must also play an active role in ensuring the safety of children at all times.

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Where a certain type of events, activity or trip is taking place, we may issue an additional code of conduct, policy, or some specific other requirements which is specific to that occasion. Any such additional documentation will be made available to all those concerned (staff members, parents, guardians etc.) in advance. They should be read carefully and adhered to.

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Appropriate background checking shall be undertaken wherever we are legally required to do so in respect of adults who are engaged by us (see the relevant section above).

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Venues

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We are typically based at:

At The Pill Box, 115 Coventry Road, E2 6GG, 73 St. John Street London EC1M 4NJ and at local primary and secondary schools

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We have carried out a health and safety risk assessment in relation to the premises, in reference to its safety and suitability for children. Where any events, activities or trips are to take place at other locations, we shall also carry out a further risk assessment.

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The fire safety procedure in relation to the premises can be found in the following location:

Safety procedures at located at the lobby of the school.

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First Aid

 

1. Aims

The aims of our first aid policy are to:

• Ensure the health and safety of all staff, pupils and visitors

• Ensure that staff and governors are aware of their responsibilities with regards to health and safety

• Provide a framework for responding to an incident and recording and reporting the outcomes.

We have the following first aid procedure within the School:

The first aid policy can be found at the main lobby of the school

Any accident or injury concerning a child should be brought to the attention of the nearest first aider and should thereafter be formally reported to the Safeguarding Officer.

2. Legislation and guidance

This policy is based on advice from the Department for Education on First aid in schools, early years and colleges and Health and safety in schools, early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the following legislation:

• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations which state that employers must provide adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities to enable first aid to be administered to employees, and qualified first aid personnel

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, which require employers to carry out risk assessments, make arrangements to implement necessary measures, and arrange for appropriate information and training.

• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences RIDDOR, which state that some accidents must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and set out the timeframe for this and how long records of such accidents must be kept.

• The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations which set out rules on the retention of accident records.

• The School Premises (England) Regulations which require that suitable space is provided to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils.

 

3. Roles and responsibilities

3.1 Appointed person(s) and first aiders

London School of Music must have a minimum of one qualified first aider and one designated 'appointed person' to take charge of first aid matters in their absence. Schools with early years provision must ensure their appointed person(s) and/or first aiders are appropriately trained paediatric first aiders as outlined within the Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework.

Appointed person(s) and first aiders are responsible for:

• Taking charge when someone is injured or becomes ill

• Ensuring there is an adequate supply of medical materials in first aid kits, and replenishing the contents of these kits

• Ensuring that an ambulance or other professional medical help is summoned when appropriate.

First aiders are trained and qualified to carry out the role (see section 7) and are responsible for:

• Acting as first responders to any incidents; they will assess the situation where there is an injured or ill person and provide immediate and appropriate treatment.

• Sending pupils home to recover, where necessary

• Complete an accident report on the same day, or as soon as is reasonably practicable, after an incident.

• Keeping their contact details up to date.

 

3.2 Staff

School staff are responsible for:

• Ensuring they follow first aid procedures

• Ensuring they know who the first aiders in school are

• Completing accident reports for all incidents they attend to where a first aider is not called

• Informing the headteacher or their manager of any specific health conditions or first aid needs.

 

4. First aid procedures

4.1 In-school procedures

In the event of an accident resulting in injury:

• The closest member of staff present will assess the seriousness of the injury and seek the assistance of a qualified first aider, if appropriate, who will provide the required first aid treatment

• The first aider, if called, will assess the injury and decide if further assistance is needed from a colleague or the emergency services. They will remain on scene until help arrives

• The first aider will also decide whether the injured person should be moved or placed in a recovery position

• If the first aider judges that a pupil is too unwell to remain in school, parents will be contacted and asked to collect their child. Upon their arrival, the first aider will recommend next steps to the parents

• If emergency services are called, the headteacher or if not available the school administrator team will contact parents immediately

• The relevant member of staff will complete an accident report form on the same day or as soon as is reasonably practical after an incident resulting in an injury.

4.2 Off-site procedures

When taking pupils off school premises, school staff will ensure they always have the following:

• A mobile phone

• A portable first aid kit

• Information about the specific medical needs of pupils

• Access to parents’ contact details.

Risk assessments will be completed by the lead member of school staff prior to any educational visit that necessitates taking pupils off school premises.

There will always be at least one first aider with a current first aid certificate on all school trips and visits.

 

5. First aid equipment

A typical first aid kit in at London School of Music will include the following:

• A leaflet with general first aid advice

• Regular and large bandages

• Eye pad bandages

• Triangular bandages

• Adhesive tape

• Safety pins

• Disposable gloves

• Antiseptic wipes

• Plasters of assorted sizes

• Scissors

• Cold compresses

• Burns dressings.

No medication is to be kept in first aid kits.

First aid kits are stored in the main office.

 

6. Reporting

6.1 Reporting to the HSE

The schools safe aider will keep a record of any accident which results in a reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence as defined in the RIDDOR 2013 legislation (regulations 4, 5, 6 and 7).

The schools first aider will report these to both the Trust and the Health and Safety Executive as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event within 10 days of the incident.

Reportable injuries, diseases or dangerous occurrences include:

• Death

• Specified injuries, which are:

  • Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes

  • Amputations

  • Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight.

  • Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs

  • Serious burns (including scalding)

  • Any scalping requiring hospital treatment

  • Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia

  • Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

• Injuries where an employee is away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 7 consecutive days (not including the day of the incident)

• Where an accident leads to someone being taken to hospital

• Near-miss events that do not result in an injury, but could have done. Examples of near-miss events relevant to schools include, but are not limited to:

  • The collapse or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment

  • The accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness

  • The accidental release or escape of any substance that may cause a serious injury or damage to health

  • An electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion.

 

6.2 Notifiying Parents

A member of staff will inform parents of any accident or injury sustained by a pupil of a London School Music, and any first aid treatment given, on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.

6.3 Reporting to Ofsted and child protection agencies

The teacher and the London School of Music will notify Ofsted of any serious accident, illness or injury to, or death of, a pupil while in their school’s care. This will happen as soon as is reasonably practicable, and no later than 14 days after the incident.

The teacher will also notify local authority child protection agencies (MASH team) of any serious accident or injury to, or the death of, a pupil while in the school’s care.

 

7. Training

All school staff within London School of Music are able to undertake first aid training if they would like to.

All first aiders must have completed a training course, and must hold a valid certificate of competence to show this. London Schools of Music will keep a register of all trained first aiders, what training they have received and when this is valid until.

Staff are encouraged to renew their first aid training when it is no longer valid.

At all times, at least 1 staff member within each London School of Music will have a current first aid certificate which is updated at least every 3 years.

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Consent Forms

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We shall always obtain written consent from a parent or guardian in the following circumstances:

Wherever a trip is to take place off-site

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Consent will be obtained via:

A written consent form available at the school

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Consent forms will include emergency contact details and will set out any specific safety needs/requirements for children.

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All consent forms will be kept secure and shall be stored in accordance with our data protection privacy policy.

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Supervision

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For most activities and events, our procedure for supervision of children is as follows:

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For groups of children aged between 9 and 12, there shall be 1 adult present for every 8 children. For groups of children aged 13+ there will be one adult to every 10 children.

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Wherever a child attend our premises alongside their parent or guardian, parents and guardians should ensure that children are properly supervised.

Managing Behaviour of Children Generally

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Whenever any adult engaged by us is faced with challenging or inappropriate behaviour from a child or with conflict between children, they must:

• treat each child fairly and equally

• approach the situation in a calm and neutral manner

• only ever use physical restraint/intervention in order to protect the immediate safety of a person, for example to prevent an injury or harm either to the child or others

• wherever it is justified to physically restrain a child or to physically intervene, the amount of force used should be kept to the absolute minimum taking into account the risk posed

• make a written record of the incident and ensure this is reported appropriately to the Safeguarding Officer

Managing Risks Posed by Other Children

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It is important for all adults engaged by us to recognise that children can face harm from their peers. This can commonly take the form of bullying. Bullying can be defined as any behaviour which is:

• repeated; and

• has the intention of hurting somebody either physically or emotionally.

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Bulling can sometimes be motivated by prejudices based on certain groups, for example gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Bullying can often include:

• physical harm perpetrated against another child

• name calling and threats

• cyberbullying (threats and abusive comments made via technology)

 

Any instance of bullying or concern relating to possible bullying between children at any event or activities arranged by us will usually be dealt with by us in the first instance as follows:

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Children and any relevant staff shall be spoken to individually to ascertain the facts. Where appropriate, children will receive a first warning and relevant support/education.

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Where any behaviour amounting to bullying continues following this, the following steps will be taken:

The child or children who have found to be responsible for persistent behaviour which amounts to bullying of another child shall be banned from attending the premises.

All steps in relation to the prevention or management of bullying should be taken in consultation with the Safeguarding Officer.

Photography

 

Our Photographs

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On some occasions, we may take photographs featuring children. We recognise that photography of children carries risks, such as:

• the potential for images to be re-used, shared or adapted in a damaging or inappropriate manner

• the general risk of sharing images and the impact this could have on child's public image as they grow older

 

In view of these risks, we will:

• always ask for written permission from a child and their parent/guardian before taking and sharing any image of them

• always ensure that a child and their parent/guardian are properly informed how an image will be used and shared

• always ensure that a child's identity is protected as far as is possible within any published material

• ask that parents, guardians, children and any other person connected to them who may wish to share any of our published images which features other children to refrain from doing so unless they have the permission of the other children and their parent/guardian

• always store photos in accordance with our data protection policy.

 

Members of the Public

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We do also recognise that members of the public may take photographs when they are attending our premises, events or activities.

We ask that any parents, guardians and other members of the public take the following into consideration when taking photos at our premises, events or activities:

• images of other children should not be shared on social media without the permission of any children who feature in the images (where ascertainable), together with the permission of the children's parent/guardian

• images which are shared on social media should be shared cautiously, with the appropriate privacy and security settings in place.

Other Policies

We have referred within this document to the following other important policies which should be read in conjunction with this policy:

• Our data protection policy

• Our first aid policy

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up in accordance with all relevant and applicable legislation and guidance available to the School in the jurisdictions it operates within.

This Policy is approved and robustly endorsed by LSM  and is due for review every EVERY 5 YEARS.

Signed: MICHAEL BENÖHR (Safeguarding Officer)

Date: 1st September 2023